Back in April I wrote a post featuring the construction that was underway of the new Open School East campus. Sunday was the school’s inaugural open house – the entire community was invited to come and tour the school, eat delicious food provided by two food carts, and even shoot a little hoop in the school courtyard.
Holst Architects designed this energetic, thought-provoking space that students and staff alike are proud to occupy on a daily basis. Both the building and the courtyard were buzzing with activity this afternoon as people enjoyed coming together to experience this new place of learning. And because I happen to be married to the executive director of Open School, I also know how much sweat equity goes into raising funds and bringing partners together to make a project like this fly. It’s astounding.
Here is the view from the entrance to the school – there is positive, encouraging, and inspiring messaging scattered throughout the halls that greets students and staff everyday.
What’s more, each classroom is dedicated to figures in current and past history who were not only pioneers in their field, but who were also social justice activists.
I took this photo of the center atrium last April, and it is followed by the one I took Sunday standing in the same spot.
One of the rituals that the students and staff do every morning is to gather on the atrium steps and recite part of Luis Valdez’s poem IN LAK’ECH. They recite it in English and Spanish. Two wonderful young women from IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) came with a small printing press and let people make a print with a line from the poem.
A view from above.
Andrew and my son, Lee, greeting friend and supporter, Dana.
I wandered through the classrooms and loved this little vignette.
The Kochiyama Room
Here’s one of a few small social hangout spots tucked into the corners of the second floor.
The Susan Castillo room.
The party outside…
Finally, one of the things that was SO great about the day was seeing the families and younger siblings of the students who, on more than one occasion, shouted, “I wanna go here when I get older!” Perfect.
